ServiceNow announces Digital Workforce Challenge finalists

At ServiceNow we know that automation and artificial intelligence play an increasingly vital role in making work flow across the globe. As the nature of work changes, so do the skills needed for success in the modern workplace. That’s why we’ve partnered with MIT Solve to sponsor the Digital Workforce Challenge.

We asked competitors to propose tech-based solutions to major problems in the world of work. The prize for solving this challenge? $100,000 to accelerate their solutions.

We received 151 submissions representing 44 different countries. A diverse panel of cross-sector judges selected nine finalist teams whose proposals met the following criteria:

• Increase opportunities for people—especially those from marginalized, underserved populations—to access digital and 21st century skills, meet employer demands, and access the jobs of today and tomorrow.
• Upskill, reskill, or retrain workers in the industries most affected by technological transformations.
• Support underserved people in fostering entrepreneurship and creating new technologies, businesses, and jobs.
  
  

And the winner is...

ServiceNow announced the grand prize winner of the Digital Workforce Challenge, and it’s ChargerHelp!, a startup that aims to utilize technology to drive workforce realignment and development in the new green economy. The winning idea was presented by CEO Kameale C. Terry.

Based in Los Angeles, ChargerHelp! partners with local workforce development agencies to activate trained technicians who can easily validate, troubleshoot, or escalate software and communication issues involving a networked EV charge station. 

“We are thrilled to congratulate ChargerHelp! on winning this Solve challenge,” said Kathy Mulvaney, head of global impact at ServiceNow. “We look forward to helping them advance their solution and scale their impact in creating sustainable employment in the new green economy.”

Our nine finalists are:

AnnieCannons Software Training Program for Survivors (Employee Choice Award Winner)
Presented by: Jessica Hubley

Tagline: Where economic opportunity provides survivors the opportunities necessary to sustain a lifetime free from exploitation and abuse.

By training abuse survivors in high-demand software programming skills, then finding and managing contract-based work for them, AnnieCannons leverages the $1.5 trillion software services market to help survivors achieve economic independence. AnnieCannons is a new kind of software development company that gives corporate clients the opportunity to make a positive social impact while reaping the benefit of high-quality, affordable software created by well-paid developers.

Skilllab
Presented by: Ulrich Scharf
Tagline: Skilllab is a personal career assistant that helps job seekers uncover professional career pathways.

With Skilllab’s app, job seekers can identify and document their skills quickly and explore professional career pathways in any given labor market. Through the granularity of the skill assessment (13,485 unique skills) it is possible to capture a job seeker’s experience in detail, match their skills to every occupation and show missing skills that would increase employability. The app links those skills to online education offerings from third parties.

Forte: Tradable Income-Based Solutions (TIBS)
Presented by: Dr. Nat Ware
Tagline: The way to finance reskilling at no cost to individuals or governments, and without needing any philanthropy.

Forte utilizes a new financial product they invented called Tradable Income-Based Securities (TIBS). The product is based on the insight that the cost of training is often far less than the increase in government income tax revenue created by that training. In essence, Forte enables individuals to pay for training with their own future taxes.
 

DoctHERS: A gender-inclusive digital workforce
Presented by: Nadia Bukhari
Tagline: Connecting Communities...Improving Health...Transforming Lives

The ‘Guddi Bajis’ last-mile program tackles the issue of female exclusion from the workforce in both developing and developed economies. The goal is to train and equip female health workers, nurses and community midwives with technology inputs (hardware/software), training, and income-generating assets. Once trained, the female health workers are deployed in a rural, hub-and-spoke model. By leveraging this model, ‘Guddi Bajis’ are also able to help amplify access to quality healthcare to remote and urban slum populations.

Kiron’s Skill Booster Programs for the Future Workforce
Presented by: Kate Muwoki
Tagline: Empowering refugees and underserved communities with 21st century skills for professional growth

The Kiron Campus is an online learning platform for refugees worldwide and underserved communities in the Middle East. They provide free access to high-quality education for academic, professional and personal growth. The Skill Booster Programs, which are digital certificate programs with a strong focus on digital literacy and other 21st century skills, empower refugees with the crucial skills necessary to enter the workforce and acquire sustainable and fulfilling employment. Upon successful completion of a program, students can quickly demonstrate their learning achievements and have their new skills and knowledge recognized by employers.

Arist: The Text Message Learning Platform
Presented by: Maxine Anderson
Tagline: We help institutions and companies create and distribute text message courses.

Arist is the world’s first text message-based learning platform. Research from Stanford and the University of Pennsylvania shows that text message courses are more accessible, effective, and easy to build than video, web, or app-based courses. Only about 25% of the world has access to the high-bandwidth internet needed to engage in online education, whereas around 67% of people have a mobile phone and can learn over text message courses. Arist helps leading companies and institutions create and deploy text message-based courses that yield better learning and training outcomes.

The BBC micro:bit—Inspiration for the next generation
Presented by: Gareth Stockdale
Tagline: Broadening participation in digital technology to bridge the skills gap

The micro:bit is a pocket-sized computer that gives students limitless opportunities to learn and create by applying code and computational thinking. The micro:bit opens young people’s eyes to digital creativity and provides them with critical life skills. The micro:bit also gives teachers access to high-quality, easy-to-use resources to inspire their students in the classroom setting. Students and families can also access the micro:bit and related resources for self and home-based learning. The micro:bit is currently used by 20 million young people in more than 60 countries worldwide, with a goal of reaching 100 million users by 2025.

LaunchCode’s National Inclusive Tech Career Accelerator
Presented by: Jeff Mazur
Tagline: Helping job seekers enter the tech field by providing accessible education, training and career placement in paid apprenticeships.

LaunchCode’s National Inclusive Tech Career Accelerator is changing how companies approach tech hiring. LaunchCode provides job opportunities to candidates who have historically been underrepresented in the tech workforce. LaunchCode provides free, part-time training in computer programming. Graduates are matched with hiring managers who have been encouraged to evaluate potential hires based on ability rather than credentials. After completing 28 weeks of hard and soft skill training, LaunchCode graduates can apply to be placed on a tech team at one of LaunchCode’s 400+ company partners.

Congratulations to our amazing finalists and winners!

© 2020 ServiceNow, Inc. All rights reserved. ServiceNow, the ServiceNow logo, Now, and other ServiceNow marks are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of ServiceNow, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other company names, product names, and logos may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.